The present invention relates generally to illumination devices and an apparatus for displaying light emitting elements in particular.
For years families and businesses have displayed lights in their windows to commemorate some event or call attention to their window for some reason. In particular, during the Christmas and Hanukkah holiday seasons, the lights take on a special significance.
In order to avoid the dangers of using candles that could easily tip over and cause fires, people have turned to electric lighting to serve the same symbolic purpose. Historically strings of lights were affixed to the window parapet or alternatively, window fixtures were adopted to the window to display a multiplicity of colored light bulbs.
Many attempts have been made to perfect these window displays, however, they still suffer from the principal limitation of requiring an electrical outlet, located near the window, for proper function. In particular, when used outdoors, many of the conventional display devices require a series of extension cords and access to an electrical outlet. Moreover, depending on the number of lighting elements connected in series to the electrical outlet, the electrical circuit could be overloaded and cause a fire.
Additionally, the hassle of untangling extension cords and the cord of the lighting elements and display should be alleviated. An additional limitation of existing display devices results from the fact that manufactures would have to incur the added expense of designing the device to meet the varying forms of electrical current drawn from electrical outlets throughout the world. Yet another limitation of conventional display devices is the fact that they either require movable parts, that undergo significant stress when affixing them to a window parapet, or the display device is affixed by some sort of semi-permanent form of adhesion such as glue, nails, etc. In the case of moveable parts, such as spring loaded means, the tension on the springs leads to premature obsolescence of the securing means and therefore unsatisfactory positioning of the display device. With respect to using semi-permanent adhesion techniques, the device may be damaged when removing the adhesive. This may prevent the device from being place in another location, repaired or moved after the holiday season.
Therefore, there is an existing need for a decorative lighting display that utilizes a power source that allows the use of the display in locations that are difficult to reach without the use of an extension cord. Moreover, there is a need for a cordless display device that can be placed securely on a window parapet as well as adequately adapted for display in other desirable locations.
The present inventors have discovered a unique way of addressing all of the above limitations and providing additional advantages. In an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present invention, a cordless light emitting display is provided.
In a preferred embodiment, it is an objective of the invention to provide a decorative display that can be placed, preferably, in a window parapet but is suitably configured to be displayed on, by way of example but not limited to, balcony""s, deck railings, tables, car rear window wells, etc. In the furtherance of this and other objectives, a display apparatus is provided that can be slipped under the window in such a manner that the window holds the apparatus in place while still closing sufficiently to form an air tight seal. Moreover, when used outside of the window context, the display apparatus can sufficiently stand on its legs.
A principal objective of the present invention is to provide a cordless display apparatus that is suitable for use in locations that are not located near an electrical outlet. In the furtherance of this and other objectives, the display apparatus is powered by at least one battery, or alternatively configured with solar powered cells that allow the display to be charged during the day and light emitting at night.
Another objective of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a display apparatus that has adjustable legs so that the height of the light elements can be raised or lowered by telescoping the light element housing longitudinal along the legs.
Still another objective of the present inventions is to provide an alternative to the current systems that require additional moving parts such as spring loaded means, that are subject to obsolescence, to secure the display device in a window parapet. In the furtherance of this and other objectives, the display apparatus sits on support members that are engaged with the light emitting element housing.
Yet another objective of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a durable and lightweight display apparatus for display in diverse locations. In the furtherance of this and other objectives, the display apparatus in accordance with the present invention is formed from a shatter resistant and substantially translucent polymeric material and can be suitably configured with a hook for hanging the display apparatus in varying locations.
Further objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.